Students of
Taekwon-Do strive to practice and exemplify the Student Oath and Tenets. A
system of rank provides feedback and evaluation of their progress in Taekwon-Do
skills.

STUDENT OATH:

I
shall obey the tenets of Taekwon-Do.

I
shall respect my instructor and seniors.

I
shall never misuse Taekwon-Do.

I
shall be a champion of freedom and justice.

I
shall build a more peaceful world.

TENETS

COURTESY
(Ye Ui)

Taekwon-Do students should attempt
to practice the following elements of etiquette:

1.To promote the spirit of
mutual concessions.

2.To be ashamed of one's vice contempting that of others.

3.To be polite to one another.

4.To encourage the sense of
justice.

5.To distinguish the
instructor from student and senior from junior.

INTEGRITY
(Yom Chi)

In Taekwon-Do, the word integrity
assumes a looser definition than the one usually presented in Webster's
dictionary.One must be able to define
right and wrong, and have the conscience, if wrong, to feel guilt.Listed are some examples where integrity is
lacking:

1.The instructor who
misrepresents himself and his art by presenting improper techniques to his
students because of a lack of knowledge or apathy.

2.The student who
misrepresents himself by fixing breaking materials before demonstrations.

3.The instructor who
camouflages bad techniques with luxurious training halls and false flattery to
his students.

4.The student who requests
rank from an instructor, or attempts to purchase it.

5.The student who gains rank
for ego purposes or the feeling of power.

6.The instructor that teaches
and promotes his art for materialistic gains.

PERSEVERANCE
(In Nae)

There is an old Oriental saying,
"Patience leads to virtue or merit" "One can make a peaceful
home by being patient for 100 times."Certainly, happiness and prosperity are most likely brought to the
patient person.To achieve something,
whether it is a higher degree or the perfection of a technique, one must set
his goal then constantly persevere.Robert Bruce learned his lesson of perseverance from the persistent
efforts of the lowly spider.It was this
perseverance and tenacity that finally enabled him to free Scotland in the
fourteenth century.One of the most
important secrets in becoming a leader of Taekwon-Do is to overcome every
difficulty by perseverance.

SELF-CONTROL
(GukGi)

This tenet is extremely important
inside and outside the dojang, whether conducting
oneself in free sparring or in one's personal affairs.A loss of self-control in free sparring can
prove disastrous to both student and opponent.An inability to live and work within one's capability or sphere is also
a lack of self-control.

INDOMITABLE
SPIRIT (BaekjulBoolgool)

"Here lie 300, who did their
duty," a simple epitaph for one of the greatest acts of courage known to
mankind.Although facing the superior
forces of Xerxes, Leonidas and his 300 Spartans at
Thermopylae showed the world the meaning of indomitable spirit.It is shown when a courageous person and his
principles are pitted against overwhelming odds.A serious student of Taekwon-Do will at all
times be modest and honest.If
confronted with injustice, he will deal with the belligerent without any fear
or hesitation at all, with indomitable spirit, regardless of whosoever and
however many the number may be.

BELT COLORS

Students progress through Taekwon-Do by testing to
ensure they have properly learned material and have the capability to learn
more advanced techniques.The UD-ITC follows the system of rank as set forth by the
ITF. The system of rank in Taekwon-Do, Dan GupJedo, is symbolized by the
wearing of a colored belt during all formal meetings.The colors blue, red and black denoted
various levels within the Silla Dynasty.

ØWhite signifies innocence, as that of a beginning
student who has no previous knowledge of Taekwon-Do.

ØYellow
signifies Earth, from which a plant sprouts and takes root as the Taekwon-Do
foundation is being laid.

ØGreensignifies
the plant's growth as the Taekwon-Do skill begins to develop.

ØBlue
signifies the Heaven towards which the plant matures into a towering tree as
training in Taekwon-Do progresses.

ØRed
signifies danger, cautioning both the student to exercise control and the
opponent to stay away.

ØBlack, the opposite of white, signifies maturity and
proficiency in Taekwon-Do.It also
signifies the wearer's imperviousness to darkness and fear.

If you hold rank in another
school or style we may recognize your rank and help you continue your
Taekwon-Do education. You do not need to give up any memberships you have with
your home school.In order to test at UD,
however, you will need to meet the standards set forth during testing by the
UD-ITC.